The Pujo season is all set to get even more special this year for Kolkata residents. The iconic Globe Cinema will open in its revamped avatar on Tuesday, October 8. Today, October 6, popular actor Dev and acclaimed director Srijit Mukherji will start the advance booking and even sell tickets at the counter.
Distributor-exhibitor Satadeep Saha, who is opening this theatre under the name of SSR Globe Cinemas, exclusively told Bollywood Hungama, “It started as an opera house in 1827. The British named it the Bijou Grand Opera House. In 1906, it was sold to E M Cohen and he named it Globe Cinema after it was converted into a theatre. Only English films used to be screened there. In 2006, it shut down.”
He added, “In 2007, it was bought by the Sidhwa family and Jal Tata. They later sold it to Dhansri Abasan Pvt Ltd and Goldstar Enclave Pvt Ltd. They demolished the building and created a new structure with a shopping mall. They also built a space for a two-screen cinema hall on the third floor. The signage is different but the pattern is the same as the erstwhile Globe Cinema.”
Finally it’s Opening !
Watched many English Movies here ,never ever thought that I will revamp it and will start this theatre again !Finally it’s a dream for us where other single screens are closing down we are opening New Cinemas !
Globe Cinema will be now SSR Globe Cinemas pic.twitter.com/jAU6a695mp— Satadeep Saha (@satadeeps) September 20, 2024
Satadeep Saha then stated, “In 2013, the construction was complete and they were all set to open it in 2014. However, due to a fight among the owners, the plan didn’t take off. The multiplex company that built the hall also backed out. The matter finally got resolved. Once that was done, I decided to manage the cinema. In fact, in 2014, I accompanied the management to check the projection system.”
Has he upgraded the cinema hall ever since it was constructed in 2014? He replied “The seats are the same but the projection and sound have been changed. Now we have an 11.1 sound system and 2k projection.”
He also said, “One is a 243 seater while the other screen has 198 seats. The twin cinema hall will definitely play English films; that would be our preference followed by Hindi. And of course, we’ll play Bengali films as well.”
Satadeep Saha explained that not just the heritage factor, but even the location adds to the theatre’s appeal, “It is located in the New Market area, a big hub for shoppers. Many tourists from Bangladesh and other foreign countries come here to shop.”
Akshay Kumar connection
Globe Cinemas has a strong Akshay Kumar connection. Satadeep Saha revealed, “There was a travel agency in the same area and Akshay Kumar used to work there. Since Globe was nearby, he used to go there to watch films. That’s what he said when he came to Kolkata for the promotions of Raksha Bandhan (2022). He also made it clear that he used to work near Globe Cinema. But due to some confusion, it was mentioned everywhere that he used to work in Globe Cinema.”
Akshay Kumar in a few interviews has mentioned his stint at this travel agency and that he used to work there as an ‘errand boy’. In an interview with Curly Tales, he also said that he used to get around Rs. 150 or 200 as a salary and that he was 15 or 16 years old when he worked there in 1984.
The actor, however, never mentioned the name of this travel agency. Bollywood Hungama has exclusively learned that it was AR-ES Travels Private Limited which employed the superstar. In the 80s, it was located in Chowringhee Lane and now it has shifted to Park Street. In 2013, Akshay Kumar took a stop at AR-ES and went down memory lane.
Bollywood Hungama contacted the owner of AR-ES Travels Private Limited but he respectfully refused to comment on Akshay Kumar.
And shining like a jewel in this treasure trove of memories, is Globe. Post the father-son tryst, we would head off to a branch of Oasis (now non-existant) to feast on Mixed Grill sizzler.
I think he will be watching Tekka at Globe this Pujo.
I hope I make him proud. pic.twitter.com/TJcCKIjB88— Srijit Mukherji (@srijitspeaketh) October 5, 2024
Satadeep Saha made an appeal through us saying, “I’d love Mr Akshay to attend the inauguration of Globe Cinema. He had said that he was upset that the cinema hall had shut down. Now that it’s reopening, it’ll be great if he can make it. Even if he can tweet about it, it’ll mean a lot to us.”
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The post EXCLUSIVE: This is the Kolkata travel agency where Akshay Kumar worked in 1984 as ‘errand boy’; exhibitor requests superstar to attend the inauguration of revamped Globe Cinema, where he used to frequently watch films appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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